A much-loved Greenwich pub will reopen in May after being closed for eight months — and will regain its old name once again.

The Vanbrugh has been taken on by a family-owned business, which has turned the old pub into a hive of activity in the past week as the bar is refurbished.

Historically known as the Duke of Edinburgh and later the Vanbrugh Tavern, the pub closed in March 2022 before reopening 15 months later as The Duke of Greenwich, run by the team behind The Jolly Gardners in Kennington.

But The Duke of Greenwich only lasted two years before closing in September after its management could not agree terms with the freeholder.

Now the new team have a ten-year lease on the pub. The Vanbrugh is the first venture into hospitality for ATS Premier, which has worked on fitting out venues such as Chiltern Firehouse and the Electric Diner in Notting Hill.

Back of the Vanburgh pub and beer garden with work going on
The pub is now being refurbished. Image: The Greenwich Wire
Man behind pub bar
Tom Ashplant is part of the family business that has taken on the pub. Image: The Greenwich Wire

Tom Ashplant, 33, from Ruislip, west London, is overseeing the work for the family business. He  told The Greenwich Wire: “We really want to focus on the local community, building back with that kind of vibe and just getting people together. Even if you don’t drink, just come down and get involved.  

“It’s a family-run business, me, my mum, my dad, and we’ve got some external help who have been involved in hospitality as well.

“It’s exciting. I think it’s going to do really well.”

In December 2020 the freeholder, Hamna Wakaf, won a drawn-out battle to build a house on land behind the pub’s beer garden. But the project did not go ahead and the permission has since lapsed – giving Ashplant’s team the opportunity to revamp “Greenwich’s best sun trap” as well as the interior of the pub. 

The pub is due to reopen on May 1, with updates posted on its Instagram page.

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